Automatic railway-switch.



R. A. GULLION.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION man JULY 12. 1916.

mwfiao Patented Jan. 22,1918.

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WITNESSES ATTORNEY R. A. GULLION. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

lfiggqigfiitflgo APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, I916- Patented Jan 22,

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INVENTOR WITNESSES g PM ifw ATTOR NE! ROBERT A. GULLION, OF GALLATIN',TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, illlllld.

Application filed July 12; 1916. Serial No. 108,890.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. GULLIoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at (Jrallatin, in the county of Cherokee and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticRailway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to automat c railway switches, and thenature and ob ects thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art to which it appertams, 1n the light of the following explanationof the accompanying drawings, illustrating what I now believe to be thepreferred embodiment or mechanical expression of my invention, fromamong other forms and arrangements within the spirit thereof, or thescope of the appended claims.

However, an object of the invention is to provide means disposed at theside of a rallway track, and operable by a pro ect1on on the locomotiveto actuate the switch points of a switch frog controlling communicationto a siding whereby the train is permitted to enter the siding when themechanism is actuated, said mechanism being also actuable by aprojection upon the locomotive when the train is backed out of saidsiding.

Another object of the invention is to provide means on the locomotivefor actuating the switch mechanism mentioned above, said meanscomprising relatively movable tripping arms adapted to extend fromopposite sides of the locomotive, and having a novel actuating meansoperable from the engineers cab.

In addition to the foregoing, my invention comprehends improvements inthe details of construction and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafterdescribed and particularly set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar and corresponding partsare designated by the same characters of reference throughout theseveral views in which they 4 appear:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of a section of railway track and switchpoints, illustratthe upper portion of my improved switch stand, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of means employed in connection with myinvention for trans mitting motion from the switch stand to the switchpoints.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the manner in which a roller is mounted.

lVith reference to the drawings, 1 indicates the rails of a section oftrack, and 2 the switch points of a switch frog, pivoted at 3, wherebythe said switch points may be moved relatively to the rails to directthe flanges of the car wheels either along the main track or into thesiding as the case may be. The switch points are connected by means of abrace f to insure their move ment in unison.

That portion of my invention relating to the operation of the switchpoints comprises a switch stand 5, built after the manner of theconventional switch stand, secured by means of bolts or the like (3 tocross ties 7, and having at its upper portion an annular upstandingflange 8. A vertically extending post 9 is mounted for rotationcentrally of the switch stand, and adapted for slight; verticalmovement. T he post 9 is provided at its upper portion with the usualvanes 10 for indicating to the engineer of an approaching train theposition of the switch points, and at its intermediate portion, justabove the flange 8, with a lateral arm 11, extending at right anglesfrom the post 9, and having its outer end bifurcated to form tripfingers 12 disposed in relative angular relation and in the samehorizontal plane. The arm 11 is adapted to rest upon the upper edge ofthe flange 8, and is provided at the point of contact with a roller 13.The flange 8 of the switch stand is formed at points spacedapproximately 45 apart with notches 14: having upwardly diverging sides15, for a purpose to be presently noted.

The switch stand is located at a convenient distance from the near sideof the switch the switch points. The upper end of the shaft :16 isprovided with an arnrQO, which is however disposed in angular relationrelative to the arm 18, and is connected by means of a link 21 to an arm22 located'on the lower terminal of the post 901 the switch stand.

Upon the forward portion of a locomotive, illustrated tosome extent inFig. 1, directly above the cow catcher 23thereo1f, I provide oppositelyextending trip arms 24:, relatively movable and mounted. for movementtrans versely of the locomotive in brackets 25 The outerterminals of thearms 2-]: are provided with bearing members 26, adaptei3l tosupport-rollers27 forrotation about a VQllil cal axis 28. A toothedsegment 29 -1S mounted for rotation at 30, beneath the arms :24 and inalinement; with, the longitudinal center of the locomotive, and isformed with a diametrically,opposite radialarmfil, The arm andtheSegment 29-are;conn -;cted by means of links;32 tolthe arms, Q-l,whereby rotation ofthe segment ineither direction will cause sliding novement of the arms to: ward or away from each other, A shaft 33 isprovidedacentrally ofthe locomotive, with a pinion ill at its forwardend for meshing engagement with the toothed segment 25), and haying atits rear end certain mechanism (not shown) forrotating the shaft run theengineers cab.

The mode of operation of my invention is as i'oliowsz- The engineerof atrainapproachingt-he switch pointsvdesiring toenter the siding, operatescertain mechanism, at, his command whereby thevshatt is rotated, therebyrotating the segment 29 in a clock wise direction, and extendingtl'1e;arms beyond the sides of the locomotive through. the medium of the linkconnections. .With the right arm Qtinextended positiomtme-o'tthe-fingers 112 of the switch arm 11 will he directlyin thepath ofmovement of the roller 2710! said arm. When the said finger is contactedby the roller 27, the arm 11 is gj Jen-an impactwhich causes therollerl3 thereofto-ride out of the notch Ll in which the roller isnormally disposed, and the arm moved nntil, the said roller is engagedinthe other of said notches 14. Thepost 9 is obviously rotated by the arm11, and the sh'al't 16 is also rotated through the medium of the link21. thereby shifting the switch points relative-to-the track rails so asto guide the car wheel flanges into the sidin It'will beobvious that thearm 11 having been moved approximately 45, the finger 1'2thereofoppositethe one previouslyengaged,will beextended out toward thetrack rail. The engineer then, upon leaving the siding by ha cking out,will, engage; the; said finger, 12 by means of the; arm 24:; and. tnear1n ,-.1.1 will be; returned ,to-its original ,posi: tion,therebyresettingmhe switch points.

While haveillustratedand described my invention. with sometclegr e e fpartieul ri y, 1 realizeQthat inpractice various alterations thereo ermay be made, and l therefore re serve: the, rightaand; privile e ofchanging theqt'orm ot-the details ot,constructnm, or

The combinationwi-th;arailwayiraclt including movable switch poi nt s,;of;a switch stand having! an; annulary vertically extendin flangeprovided with; angularly 5 spaced notches a verticaL. post j-ournaledfor -,rota tioii concentrically of said flange, an; arm on the postulapted to contact witlr the -fla age and to, normally be; engaged inone; of a the sa 1 d notches, a roller on, the arm :at thepoint;ofcODtziCt said arm being. engageable; by, it proj ection, uponpassing-locomotive to cause the roller toride, out of the xnotclrtherebymoving the 1 arm and, rotating 1 the post,- permittin the. rolle r;. to;drop, into, the oflier notch. and ,meanspperable rotation of theosty.t.0-I 0"6 th switclrp ints- Intestimony ,whereotl mysignatnreinipresen ce ot-twowitnessest, v

BERT A- G LLIEON- lVitnesses V WiLEY SNIITZHBE; F.; NVARDL Copies ofthis patent may be obtained-for five cents each, by ad tre ssingfihevfcoinmissioner, of -Patents,-

Wasl ington, .D. C. a

